Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, July, 20
With due respect, we the journalists and photo Journalists of the J&K UT want to draw the kind attention of the Government of J&K headed by the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor Sh. Girish Chandra Murmu through your good self towards the problems being faced by the media fraternity in the Union Territory of J&K during COVID 19 Epidemic and lockdowns.
We all know that Media has been one of the most adversely affected sectors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown with a significant decline in advertisement revenues.”The print media has lost significantly in circulation and also suffered huge advertisement revenue loss in J&K. “Electronic media also lost heavily in advertisement revenues. Most of national included J&K newspapers have closed their offices in Jammu as well as Srinagar and other districts due to a huge financial crisis. There is hardly any media house in J&K that has been left unaffected by this wave.
J&K govt headed by Lt Governor urged to announce financial assistance of Rs 50,000 in favour for the accredited journalists. J&K govt must undertake such immediate reform to save print and electronic media in J&K.
We are also apprising that one of the major impacts of COVID-19 on the media industries is the instability caused and the downfall in the advertising revenues across all media segments. This falling advertising revenue trends are expected to pose a significant threat to the media industry as advertising is a prime source of revenue for the media.
Keeping the importance of the media industry’s role in these critical times, the development of economy as well as socio-political fields, the J&K government must announce financial package for the lockdown period in favour of accredited journalists of J&K and also for their media houses.
It is learnt that several print and electronic media houses have closed its offices in J&K due to COVID 19 lockdown from March 24 onwards. With the shutting down its offices by media houses, hundreds of accredited and non accredited journalists of J&K is all set to loose their jobs.
Many accredited and non accredited journalists have suffered a lot due to Covid-19 lockdown/infection caught up in performance of the duties and exigencies of their services. Their Families need to be adequately compensated for the severe loss while serving the native in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic.
An amount of compensation will be enough to recompense for the loss suffered due to ongoing COVID 19 Epidemic in case of the Journalists who are putting their lives in danger to ensure seamless implementation to Government’s policies & schemes particularly during Covid-19 pandemic. The Government of J&K should ensure a life of dignity and respect for the journalists and their family members of J&K who lost their jobs due to Covid-19 infection and continounsly lockdown announced by the government .
In the present scenario of Covid-19 journalists are more prone to get infected with Covid-19 in the course of performance of their duties and some of them are already infected in the Union Territory of J&K.
Major chances of journalists getting infected with corona virus in the course of performance of theirs duty are, in many cases, they are required to have direct interaction with public, govt officers, it is practically not possible to maintain one meter social distance between journalists /photo journalists on the work spot, chances of scribes getting infected enroute to duty and return from duty in work exigencies media persons with co-morbidity conditions and above 55 year of age required to attend work.
Some of the state Governments have already announced compensation for accredited journalists who are suffering a lot due to Covid-19 infection in the course of performance of their duties.
Keeping in view of the above fact, we are requesting the J&K govt through Worthy director Information, J&K to immediately announced Rs 50, 000 each monetary compensation in favour of accredited journalists who are working day and night so that govt’s awareness schemes, guidelines should reach to the door steps of the people amidst the outbreak of Corona virus pandemic.
Besides, The Govt of Jammu and Kashmir must announced that in case of the any death of the Journalists during COVID 19 , they may grants compensation Ex-Gratia of Rs.50 lakh to the dependent members/legal heirs of the accredited journalists employed in the various print and Electronic media houses .
It is matter of great concerned that the journalists and photo journalists associated with the different Print and Electronic Media of J&K UT are also deprived off from number of welfare schemes , besides Travel concession on railways, state owned Inter State buses, mediclaim policy and grant of financial assistance being provided by the Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Ministry of Information and broadcasting, Govt of India and also other states of country.
We are requesting to the J&K administration for the announcement of financial package in favour of the media houses working in J&K UT in the extreme condition.
